Reunion time at the beach

Well, we're in North Myrtle Beach, aka OD (Ocean Drive).  OD was THE beach for us to go to back in the 60's and 70's.  To prove it, there are about 4 high school reunions going on here this weekend .... 3 from Charlotte and one from Rock Hill, SC.  Our group (South Meck) have been meeting here for the past 5 years.  It's just an informal get-together of several classes, but my class ('66) is the organizer so we are the best represented. I feel like I'm in high school again .... not a period in my life I would like to repeat!  I was pretty shy in high school and transferred to South in the 11th grade - after cliques were already formed, if you know what I mean.  And that's what it feels like here now.  They've been meeting for 5 years and have their cliques formed.  You know, the jocks and the cheerleaders!  I have to say though that the guys are a lot more friendlier than the girls.  But, the girls have held up better than the guys!!  There have been 3-4 guys that have really been friendly and inviting to Sonny and myself.  The funniest thing is that there is one guy here who transferred out of South after 10th grade (before I even arrived).  The only reason I knew him was he and my best friend were going out at the time.  Well, when I told him Thursday night she was my best friend (and the only person I have kept in touch with from HS), that is all he has talked about for 3 days!  To hear him talk, she is and was the love of his life.  I sure feel sorry for his wife.  So far, no one that I ran around with is here.  I am hoping tonight a few of them will show up. 

Sonny and I have already scoped out a Pittsburgh bar to watch the football game tomorrow so we are set for some football! 

We have been eating some wonderful seafood.  We drove to Calabash (NC) last night and had some delicious flounder and shrimp.  I'm hoping I can convince him to go back tonight.  Last night I had fried flounder ... tonight I would like some broiled!  The NC line is only about 10 minutes away so it is not a long drive and Calabash is the Seafood Capital of this area!!  It is wall to wall seafood restaurants.

It has been cold and rainy the whole time we have been here until today!  The sun came out and as long as you are in the sun, it is nice and warm.  There is a bit of a breeze blowing that is a cold wind, but all in all, it is nice.  We took a long walk this morning on the beach and Sonny is sitting out on our balcony now reading.  Our room overlooks the ocean and we have left the sliding glass door open at night and sleep to the sound of the waves!  What a life!!

Deal of the Week #2

Check out this week's deals!  If you want to order one of these great buys, contact me by next Sunday.

FLOWER BURST EMBOSSLIT DIE

RETAIL PRICE $11.95  -  SALE PRICE  - $5.99

THREE TIER CAKE POP UP DIE

REGULAR PRICE - $39.96 - SALE PRICE  - $25.49

PERFECT SETTING BIGZ  DIE (from mini catalog)

REGULAR PRICE - $42.95 - SALE PRICE - $25.99

I'm heading to my high school class reunion this weekend so you might not be hearing from me until Monday!  This will be the first reunion I have ever attended so it should be interesting!  I have only kept in touch with one gal from high school and she is not attending, so I'm not sure I'll recognize anyone!  For the past 5 years, a group from my high school - South Mecklenburg in Charlotte - (mostly from my graduating year) have gathered at Ocean Drive Beach for a reunion/get-together.  I just found out about it this year and thought this would be a good chance to give it a try.  Being at the beach, if we don't have anything in common with any of these people, Sonny and I can do our own thing!  Other than the price of the hotel, we only have to pay $10/person for a deejay.  Hopefully, it will be fun.  I was trying to let my hair color grow out (and see just how much gray I really have!) but decided last week, this was not the time to do that!  So, I asked my hairdresser to put a few blonde streaks in to blend in with the gray and brown!!  Hopefully I will look younger than some of the pictures I've seen of people from reunions.  Surprisingly, the girls seem to have held up better than the guys!! 

Digital Studio scrapbook page

I had to take my Mom to the doctor today.  But, when I got home, I had a little more time to play with My Digital Studio.  I made this scrapbook page from a picture my daughter in law recently posted on her blog.  They just returned from a Disney vacation and cruse.  This is a picture of the two youngest kids on the beach.   I thought it was priceless!

This is rather basic because I'm still learning but I did get the picture resized, added photo corners and a stamp in the bottom corner!

My Digital Studio Project

I got My Digital Studio yesterday, but just opened it today and played around for a bit.  I have a lot of learning to do!!  But, here is a card I made while playing with it!

Weight Watcher Recipes

Here are a few recipes my Weight Watcher leader shared with us. 

Apple-Carrot Slaw

Makes 6 servings (2/3 cup)
POINTS® value per serving: 2

1/2 cup reduced-fat mayonnaise
2 Tbsp apple-cider vinegar
2 Tbsp sugar
1/2 medium head red cabbage, shredded
2 cups shredded carrots
2 medium Granny Smith apples, cored and cut into matchstick strips
1/3 cup golden raisins

Stir the mayonnaise, vinegar, and sugar together in a large bowl until
well mixed. Stir in the cabbage, carrots, apples, and raisins. Let stand 15
minutes before serving. Serve at once or cover with plastic wrap and
refrigerate until ready to serve, up to 2 hours.

Recipe adapted from Weight Watchers Cookbook Comfort Classics©2009, Weight
Watchers International Inc. All Rights Reserved.


Bacon-Cheddar Mashed Potatoes
Makes 4 servings (1/2 cup each)
POINTS® value per serving: 3

1 1/2 pounds russet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1-inch pieces
1/2 cup fat-free sour cream
2 Tbsp fat-free milk
1/8 tsp salt
1/8 tsp black pepper
1/3 cup shredded low-fat sharp cheddar
2 slices center-cut bacon, crisp cooked and coarsely crumbled
1 scallion, finely chopped

1.Place the potatoes in a medium saucepan with enough water to cover by 3
inches; bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer until fork-tender, 20–25
minutes. Drain and return to the saucepan.
2.Add the sour cream, milk, salt, and pepper; mash with a potato masher
until the potatoes become creamy. Stir in the cheddar, bacon, and scallion.

Recipe adapted from Weight Watchers Cookbook Comfort Classics©2009, Weight
Watchers International Inc. All Rights Reserved.


Rosemary-Mustard Crusted Beef Roast
Makes 8 servings (3 slices each)
POINTS® value per serving: 4
2 Tbsp seasoned dried bread crumbs
2 Tbsp Dijon mustard
2 tsp chopped fresh rosemary
2 tsp olive oil
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp black pepper
1 (2-pound) boneless eye-round roast, trimmed

1.Preheat the oven to 400°F. Spray a small roasting pan with nonstick spray.
2.Combine the bread crumbs, mustard, rosemary, oil, salt, and pepper in a
small bowl. Rub the mixture over the top and sides of the beef. Place in the
pan and roast, uncovered, until an instant-read thermometer inserted in the
center of the roast registers 145°F for medium-rare, about 1 hour. Transfer
to a cutting board and let stand 10 minutes. Cut the roast into 24 slices.

Recipe adapted from Weight Watchers Cookbook Comfort Classics©2009, Weight
Watchers International Inc. All Rights Reserved.

Steelers - then and now

THEN:

AND NOW

Monday Mailer and good news to share

I want to share the Monday Mailer I mailed last week.  Our theme this month is to make a card using the Big Shot (or Cuttlebug) in your card.  I used my new Lattice die. 

It's hard to tell, but the Autumn DSP from the mini catalog is in the background.  The bird is from Wings of Friendship.

Hope you enjoy it!

I have good news also.  After much praying, my daughter got TWO offers this weekend on her DC condo.  The first offer came in on Friday and was ridiculously low.  These people have been looking at her condo since July!  If they've seen it once, they've seen it about a dozen times.  She's probably lowered the price a couple of times while they were looking.  Guess they thought they could get a bargain if they waited long enough.  On Saturday, her realtor called and said there was another couple coming to look again with plans to draw up a contract.  The contract was sent to her today and it was much better!!  And .... they want to close earlier - Nov. 6 with no inspection!  She is going out tomorrow in San Antonio with her realtor there and looking for a house there.  Even though we looked at over 60 houses in June, most of the ones she liked are now gone.  But, at least she knows the areas she wants to look.  I just hate I'm not there to help her pick out her very first house.  But, I know she'll do fine!  Her criteria is a great kitchen and backyard for entertaining.  And of course, plenty of room for her parents to visit!!

My Steelers won today but had me scared again in the 4th quarter!  Final Steelers 28 Lions 20

We had dinner tonight at my sister's house.  Luckily, the Panthers won so she was happy!!

Trivia Answers

1. According to ExtremeChocolate.com's annual Halloween candy survey, Candy Corn was the most popular Halloween candy in 2004. In previous years, Snickers had held the #1 spot.
2. According to superstition, if you stare into a mirror at midnight on Halloween, you will see your future spouse.
3. 
   The first Jack-o-Lanterns were made in Ireland out of hollowed-out turnips. A piece of coal was inserted into the hollow and the "lantern" was meant to guide the way of poor old Jack who wasn't welcome in Heaven but was also barred from entering Hell for tricking the devil. According to legend, the devil gave this crude lamp to Jack so that he could walk the earth forever in limbo. When the Irish brought this tradition to America, they apparently decided that pumpkins were much easier to carve than turnips, and the modern-day Jack-o-Lantern was born!
4. 
   Although there are many theories on the origin and history of Halloween, it is generally accepted that Halloween dates back to an ancient Celtic festival known as Samhain, or the Celtic New Year. It was believed that the spirits of everyone who had died during the year would return on the eve of Samhain to seek living bodies to possess for the following year. The Celts would dress in ghoulish costumes and hold noisy revels in an attempt to frighten away these spirits. Food and drink was also offered to pacify the dead. There are many tales of unfortunate souls being burned at the stake because they were perceived to have been possessed by one of the returning spirits. Around the turn of the first century AD, Romans abandoned this custom of human sacrifice in favor of the burning of effigies.
   
5. According to the National Retail Federation's Halloween Consumer Intentions and Actions Survey, the most popular Halloween costume in 2004 was Spiderman, with 2.15 million children dressing as their favorite superhero. Other popular costumes included princesses (1.8 million children), witches (1.3 million) and vampires (899,000).
   
6. The world's record for biggest pumpkin is currently held by a gigantic gourd weighing a whopping 1,385 pounds!
   
7. According to legend, a unibrow, tattoos, hairy palms, and a long middle finger are all signs of a werewolf.
   
8. The average American consumed 24 pounds of candy in 2002! It is believed that a large portion is consumed by kids on and during the days immediately following Halloween.
   
9. None of the "witches" put to death in the Salem Witch trials were burned at the stake. All those executed were hanged but one, Giles Cory, who was pressed to death. Several others died in prison, including Sarah Osborne, Roger Toothaker, Lyndia Dustin, and Ann Foster.
   
10. Samhainophobia refers to an abnormal and persistent fear of Halloween. This time of year may also stir up other phobias such as the fear of: cats (ailurophobia), witches (wiccaphobia), ghosts (phasmophobia), spiders (arachnophobia), the dark (nyctophobia), and cemetaries (coimetrophobia).
    
    
    
    
    So .... how many did you get correct?  Probably more than me!!  Leave me a comment and let me know.
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    

Halloween Trivia

Here's some trivia for you.  Answers will appear here in the next few days.  See how many you can guess.

1) What was the most popular Halloween candy in 2004?

Choose Your Answer: A: Snickers, B: Candy Corn, C: M&Ms, D: Tootsie Rolls

2) According to superstition, if you stare into a mirror at midnight on Halloween, what will you see?

Choose Your Answer: A: Bloody Mary, B: Your Future Spouse, C: Your Death, D: Dead Ancestors

3) The first Jack-o-Lanterns were made out of what?

Choose Your Answer: A: Watermelons, B: Coconuts, C: Turnips, D: Pumpkins

4) Halloween is generally considered to have evolved from what ancient festival?

Choose Your Answer: A: Lammas, B: Beltane, C: Samhain, D: Ostara

5) What was the most popular Halloween costume in 2004?

Choose Your Answer: A: Spiderman, B: Witch, C: Vampire, D: George W. Bush

6) How much does the world's biggest pumpkin weigh?

Choose Your Answer: A: 245 pounds, B: 485 pounds, C: 685 pounds, D: 1,385 pounds

7) According to legend, a unibrow, tattoos, and a long middle finger are all signs of what Halloween creature?

Choose Your Answer: A: a werewolf, B: a vampire, C: a witch, D: a golem

8) How many pounds of candy did the average American consume in 2002?

Choose Your Answer: A: 6 pounds, B: 12 pounds, C: 24 pounds, D: 48 pounds

9) How many "witches" were burned at the stake in the Salem Witch Trials?

Choose Your Answer: A: Twelve, B: Twenty, C: Thirty-three, D: None

10) What phobia do you suffer from if you have an intense fear of Halloween?

Choose Your Answer: A: Phasmophobia, B: Samhainophobia, C: Wiccaphobia, D: Halloweenophobia